Everton Sign Sylvain Distin to a One-Year Contract

Sylvain Distin signed a new one-year deal for Everton today, having been out of contract since the end of the season. The Frenchman, 34, was voted Everton's Players' Player of the Year at their end of season awards ceremony, and supporters of the club will be happy to see him extending his stay at Goodison Park.

Everton manager David Moyes will be delighted to have retained the services of Distin, who has emerged as the clubs most consistent central defender over the past three seasons. With the benefit of a one-year extension clause in Distin’s contract, Moyes expressed his confidence of keeping him at the club as early as November of last year.

Fans have been mostly delighted with Distin's performances at the heart of defence this season, despite perhaps the most costly error of their season, a back pass that went astray and gifted Liverpool an equalising goal in the F.A. Cup semi-final.

Repentant, Distin apologised for the mistake on Twitter at the time and was responded too with unanimous support from Everton fans. Now, he has expressed his happiness at staying with the club for another season:

Contract sorted. I ll be with you next season guys. I m happy about that. #COYB

Last season, Everton were again perennial slow starters, but Distin remained a bastion of consistency.

In fact, the form of all three of the team's main central defenders was without fault. Now Moyes faces the selection headache he suffered in the latter stages of the last campaign when Phil Jagielka was relegated to the bench because of Distin and Johnny Heitinga.